c# – Member cannot be accessed with an instance reference
c# – Member cannot be accessed with an instance reference
In C#, unlike VB.NET and Java, you cant access static members with instance syntax. You should do:
MyClass.MyItem.Property1
to refer to that property or remove the static modifier from Property1 (which is what you probably want to do). For a conceptual idea about what static is, see my other answer.
You can only access static members using the name of the type.
Therefore, you need to either write,
MyClass.MyItem.Property1
Or (this is probably what you need to do) make Property1 an instance property by removing the static keyword from its definition.
Static properties are shared between all instances of their class, so that they only have one value. The way its defined now, there is no point in making any instances of your MyItem class.
c# – Member cannot be accessed with an instance reference
I had the same issue – although a few years later, some may find a few pointers helpful:
Do not use ‘static’ gratuitously!
Understand what ‘static’ implies in terms of both run-time and compile time semantics (behavior) and syntax.
- A static entity will be automatically constructed some time before
its first use. - A static entity has one storage location allocated, and that is
shared by all who access that entity. - A static entity can only be accessed through its type name, not
through an instance of that type. - A static method does not have an implicit ‘this’ argument, as does an
instance method. (And therefore a static method has less execution
overhead – one reason to use them.) - Think about thread safety when using static entities.
Some details on static in MSDN: